The Desert Rose Lamp
by pizzansushi
Summary: Gaara, a djinn, a demon boy finds a genie's lamp in the desert. Hinata, the genie grants him three wishes. He frees her with the last wish. But all is not good and well simply because one has magic. The two demons struggle to survive in the desert. Hopefully, the sands of fate will not separate them forever. AU. Lemons. Smut.
1. Chapter 1

**The Desert Rose Lamp**

 **Chapter 1 Djinni,** ** _Genie_**

 _Djinn_. Hiders. Djinni were hiders of magic. People possessing or possessed by magic in the desert. They called him a demon for something he did not choose. Even his own father has abandoned him in the desert to die. Gaara was too immature to control his magic. If demons in the desert choose to eat him, so be it. The boy did not know how to fight with magic.

Desert nights were cold. Gaara hid in the cave. In the corner at the edge of the cave, Gaara saw some prickly pear. Hopefully, it's not some rare offbreed that poisons its eater to death. Covering his hands in the pockets of his leather coat, the boy wiggled the fruit off the cactus. On to the sand it fell. Gaara took off the brooch on his fancy headdress. Using the blade of the brooch, Gaara peeled the thorny skin off. He rubbed his front teeth against the fruit to grind it for flesh. He was still hungry.

Demonic teal green eyes glowed. Gaara's demonic eyes allowed him to see in the dark without a lamp. He walked further into the cave. Maybe there would be a bunny for him to eat. Some water trapped in the rocks. Maybe a large boulder to sleep on, so he won't be bitten by scorpions.

Suddenly, he heard a clanging sound. Like someone was beating the inside of a metal pot with a spoon. His stomach growled.

He turned around and walked back towards the exit of the cave.

 _Let me out! Hey you! Boy with the red hair, if you let me out I'll grant you three wishes! A lady always keeps her promise. I promise!_

A young female voice rang in his ears. It was so soft, so sweet…Gaara almost trusted the voice. Almost.

The boy ran away.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Well, he was supposed to rub her lamp and let her out. But he did not. Charging her magic, Hinata let herself out. She was beginning to grow too powerful for this weak gold lamp.

BOOM!

"Boy! You come back here!...Go on, get gone then. If the other djinns eat you, I won't help you."

That did the trick. The adorable boy with red hair and glowing teal eyes walked back towards her.

Seizing her opportunity, Hinata said. "Go on, rub that lamp. I'll give you two wishes!"

He reached over and picked up the body of the lamp between two hands. Roses were carved onto th sides. The lamp glowed. The boy eyed her distrustfully. "Aren't you supposed to give three wishes? I want three wishes."

Mischievous light lilac eyes glowed in the night. Like Gaara, she also had light colored irises. She was a djinni. "Well, you had three wishes. But! Just now, you wished for three wishes. So…now you're down to two!"

Putting up to two fingers, cheekily she lied. Even in the dark, Gaara could clearly see she was a young girl. She was probably his age, thirteen, maybe. Blue curls cradled her face. She had a pleasant heart-shaped face. But her eyes were impish just like the demon she was.

"I don't do business with lying cheats!" Gaara snarled. Better to be harsh with her, before she figures out that he was a djinn who did **_not_** know how to use magic.

"Aack! Fine, I won't cheat you. You still have three wishes. I did not really use magic on your folly back there. It did not really count. I'll make you a deal. Fair and square, alright?" Her lavender eyes locked with his. She was determined to get an agreement.

Carefully, he nodded. "I'll listen to the deal first. Then, I'll tell you."

"Well, if you promise to use your last wish to free me, I'll advise you." Kindly, she spoke. "I have seen people wish for things that hurt them. So, if I advise you, you won't get hurt or cheated."

She reminded him of his mother. He missed his mother. "Okay, deal."

She clapped her hands and smiled, she sat on the sand with her legs crossed. Then, as if she was telling him a secret, she leaned in her excited face. "Think carefully. Wish big! Here's the chance to change your life for the better!"

Gaara considered asking her to strip him of his magic, forever. Perhaps his father would take him back. But deep down, he knew it was wishful thinking. Think carefully, she had told him.

"I don't feel my best right now. I'm going to sleep. If I die, you are just going to have to hope another person finds you." The threat worked. Her eyes widened in fear.

Waving him off towards the boulder, she said. "Go on, then! Go to sleep. I'll protect you!"

As the boy slept, she zapped magic at the scorpions that tried to crawl on him. She tried to use up as much magic as possible. She was getting too powerful for the lamp to hold her. If the lamp bursts, while she's still bound by contract, she dies. Hinata has spent a year inside her lamp. She slept and read the rules written on the walls inside her golden lamp.

Blanketing him with her cloak, she hopes he won't be like the others. Hopefully, he would keep his promise.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

 _I can change my life for the better._ He remembered. As he woke up, he realized exactly what he wanted. But first, there was one thing he had to find out.

"Why were you trapped in that lamp? Did you do something bad?" Gaara asked the girl. He did not want to release a bad djinn into the world.

"No." She said sadly. "No one likes having a djinn for a daughter."

"How did you end up in there?"

"My father's human. My father hired a soothsayer. And then, he put me in the lamp."

Gaara's heart ached for her. She was just like him. She was thrown out by her kin.

"I keep my promises."

"Good." Lavender eyes glistened. Rubbing her arm, she looked like she was about to cry.

"I want you to teach me magic." Gaara said.

Hinata made a rolling hand gesture. She motioned for him to speak on. "For how long?"

"For…three years?"

"Okay, that's fair. What else?" The girl asked.

"I want a friend." He admitted shamefully. The girl placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You already have one."

"I would like that." He smiled. He was starting to trust her. Clever as she was, she did not seem evil.

"You know, you didn't actually make any wishes that required magic. Why don't you wish for something practical? Like getting us out of the middle of desert. A sack of gold would be nice, too. "

That seemed reasonable enough. Gaara closed his eyes. "I wish we were in the town of Suna."

"Alright!" Hinata clapped her palms and the whole cave glowed.

They were in an alley in Suna.

"I wish for a sack of silver coins. A hundred of them!" The boy wished excited.

Hinata made the sack of coins appear.

Carefully, Gaara asked. "What do I say to free you?"

"I wish for Hinata, the Djinni, to be free from her lamp."

Gaara repeated her words.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 Starry Night**

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

During their first week in Suna, Gaara and Hinata had discovered a cave in the outskirts of town. Being demons, they were brave enough to sleep in a cave. This cave was particularly beautiful. There was an opening in the cave ceiling. The moon shone through. Hinata could see the stars from where she laid on the ground.

Stretching her arms out towards the sky, Hinata made hand motions like she was grabbing the stars off their midnight canvas. Despite all the horrors, she has witnessed, she was still a child. It was nice to be free.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

"Tell me a story, Hinata." Gaara suspected that Hinata had been a royal of some sort. She was far too well-read and well-spoken to be a commoner. She told beautiful stories.

"Well, let's see. This one's quite peculiar. A man found my lamp and I belonged to him for three months. Let's call him Tafah.

"One day, he found me. And he promised to free me after two wishes. He told me he wanted a perfect wife. He expected me to make him a wife out of thin air. So I told him, a djinni in a lamp could not create human life nor destroy it.

"Then, he told me to make him attractive to all women. More specifically, he asked me to make him the most handsome man on earth. I used his first wish to change his looks.

"When he became irresistible to women, Tafah decided he was far too good for one woman. He wanted all of them. He wanted a harem. So, he told me to make him rich. I used his second wish to summon a gold chest from the royal treasury."

Gaara's eyes widened at her story. "Hinata, so that time you gave me that sack of silver coins…Did you steal it?"

"Yep!" The djinni confessed. She was completely unrepentant.

"Nevermind, keep telling me the story." Gaara said.

"So after two wishes, he did not keep his promise! He refused to free me. He put my lamp on a shelf and enjoyed his harem. One day, he went to market. He saw a handsome couple who were completely devoted to each other. They had **_love_**.

"He went to me and asked me to make people love him. Well, djinn can charm people for a short time, but it does not last forever. Anyways, I was just starting out, my magic was weak. I could not yet charm people into liking each other, even if I tried.

"So, I told him to stop abusing magic before he regrets it. I asked Tafah to free me like he promised. But he refused. Until he finds true love, he said, he would not free me. Thus, I repeated to him the words of the philosopher, Rumi. There is no such thing as love without loyalty.

"Upon that realization, Tafah disbanded his harem. He journeyed to seek a maiden fair and true. Then, he found her. She was fair and beautiful. She was the most elegant lady. She had an entire castle to herself. She had hundreds of servants. Her name was Hura.

"Tafah tried to woo her. But no matter what he tried, she would not be his. Neither strength nor wit nor glory could win her. I warned him to turn back now. It was not too late. Many people found true love without the help of magic. I asked him to free me one last time.

"Tafah threaten to melt my lamp and me, if I did not fulfill his last wish. By now, Tafah knew the limits of my magic. I could not make her love him. Tafah asked me to make him perfect and pleasing in her eyes. I repeated his words, 'Make Tafah perfect and pleasing in Hura's eyes.'

"You see, Hura was as vain as Tafah had been. No man was good enough for her. She had a whole harem of men. She never wanted a husband. She wanted a slave. That was just what Tafah became. He became another slave in her harem.

"He became mute. He lost his voice forever. He could not speak. He could no longer order women around. Hura liked her men silent and obedient. Unwittingly, Tafah had wished to be pleasing to her. As punishment for his vanity, he would spend the rest of his life devoted to her. He would received nothing in return.

"Then my lamp spun and a cyclone carried me off to a new location. The end."

Gaara frowned at her story. Hinata laughed.

"Looking back, it was kind of funny!"

"That was such a sad story."

"Well think of all the people he hurt along the way. He bought girls for his harem. He could have used his money to give them dowry to marry. But he defiled them. He mistreated them. Once he was bored he turned them to the streets. Did **_they_** get a second chance at life?" Hinata reasoned.

Hinata laughs whenever she felt like crying. The blue-haired girl had downplayed her dislike of Tafah. He was an abusive man, the little girl had been terrified. She saw how he had beaten and bruised his slave girls. He starved them to keep them skinny. Hinata persuaded Tafah to disband his harem with clever words. It was up to the genie how wishes were interpreted. Hinata enslaved Tafah to ensure he would never hurt another woman again. But, Hinata did not tell Gaara of this. He would think she was wicked.

"I guess. You are right."

Being a boy, Gaara could not help but sympathize for the man Tafah. Most men would make the exact same mistakes as Tafah. Men of Persia touted harems like badges of honor. Gaara never saw it that way. Not after he saw how much it had hurt his mother.

"O well, at least nobody died. Good night, Gaara."

"Good night, Hinata."

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

 **So...Hinata's seen some real shit. This is another dark fantasy. I guess that's what I'm in the mood for right now.**

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3) Seeking Freedom

 ** _Starry skies hung overhead, Hinata dreamt of her first and favorite master._**

Moegi was an orange-haired child. She was the thirteenth child in a family of fourteen. The caravan wagon rocked up and down as camels pulled across the desert. It was a hot and sleepy day. The child held onto her doll and murmured about a feast in her sleep.

Rolling over in her sleep, she fell off the wagon.

Noontime came and the sun was high in the sky. The sand that Moegi laid her head on was burning hot, the pain it caused woke her. Clutching onto her ragdoll, Moegi looked around. _Where is mama? Where is papa?_

She ran around the rocky desert to look for them. Tears began to stream down her face. She was so hungry and scared. Flashing behind a cactus, a lamp beckoned to her. Maybe she could use it to drill one of the cacti and get water. The girl picked up the lamp between two hands.

Suddenly, purple smoke leaked out and the prettiest fairy appeared!

Moegi leaned her head forward and rubbed her eyes. It was probably a mirage.

The fairy raised both her arms in a dramatic manner, and then, it bellowed. "Hail me! I am the Great and Powerful Genie! Free me this instant or meet your DOOM!"

Hinata had practiced this saying in her lamp a thousand times. Her voice resonate loudly, she used all the air in her lungs. She supposed if she scared people enough, she would get what she wanted.

"Aaaaahhh! Waahh!" The little girl cried. The ginger haired child wailed and hid behind a flowering cactus. Hinata saw her behind the clearing smoke. Well this was embarrassing, Hinata had hoped for a group of men or bandits that she could properly harass. Instead, all Hinata managed to do was frighten a child.

"W-wait! Come back! I won't hurt you, I promise." Hinata walked as close to the child as the lamp would allow her.

"H-hey there, look, I'm just a girl. J-just like you." The genie's kind purple eyes hypnotized Moegi from her hiding spot. The genie placed her hand forward and said. "I am Hinata. P-pleasure to meet you. D-do you have a name?"

"…Moegi"

"I bet you are a very good girl. You get three wishes…Well Moegi, here are the rules. You get to make two wishes for yourself. And on the third wish, you have to wish me free from this here lamp alright?" The crazed bluenette pointed to the golden lamp. Moegi nodded.

Happily, Hinata clapped her hands. Three gold bangles clanged over her ankle. The golden color complemented her purple curly shoes. The genie sank down into a criss-cross sitting position. "So! What will your first wish be?"

"Uhmm, I'm hungry, Genie. And thirsty too." The child stared back at her helplessly. Hinata was just a child guiding another child. Oh well. Food and water sound reasonable enough.

"A f-feast fit for a king is your wish? With p-plenty of fruit nectar and delicious meats. Oooh! A-and choice harvest vegetables too?" Hinata imagined the feast in her head.

Little did she know, Hinata was actually viewing a clairvoyant vision of a king's feast that took place at that very moment. The vision became clearer and clearer. Oddly, Hinata could smell the delicious smells.

"Yes! Yes please, misses. I want a feast!"

Focusing her mind, Hinata clapped her hands. One of the three bangles around her ankle disappeared. A long table with dragons carved on the sides appeared with enough food to feed an army. Unwittingly, she teleported a whole table of food.

"Wow!" Sparkles graced Moegi's brown eyes. When traveling in the desert, food and water was rationed. If one gets lost in the desert, one had to make food last for a longtime. Moegi only got one cup of water and one roll of bread a day. Her merchant family had spent a week in the desert.

"P-please help yourself." The genie gestured grandly. Glorious and lavish, the table of delicacies laid in the desert. The beautiful genie poured Moegi a goblet of apple nectar from flared flask. She handed it out to the child. Moegi took a sip.

"Mmmhmm! This is so delicious! Did you make all this?" Moegi asked. Hinata nodded proudly. Honestly, the young djinn did not know better. If she read her lamp properly, she would have known that what she did was thievery.

The lamp kept Hinata alive, but it never gave her food. The beauty had not eaten in months. Salivating at the lamb roast, Hinata glided over to the table. Her magic made her float through air.

Crunching rudely, Moegi munched on crispy breaded fish. The child could not help herself. Never in her life had Moegi tasted such delicious cooking.

Whoever made the lamb shank Hinata ate knew how to cook lamb right. The top and bottom of the bones and ligaments were cut to allow blood to escape. It gave the meat a lighter color. The meat was falling off the bones, it was so tender yet chewy. There was a pungent gaminess to the meat that tasted slightly of sweat. The mint and spice sauce mixed beautifully. She scooped up the juices with a spoon. Flavor burst in her mouth.

Holding onto her goblet of apple nectar, Moegi look crestfallen. Hinata stopped her chewing to ask, "What's wrong Moegi?"

"My brother Choji would love this. I miss my family, Hinata." The eight year old looked up at the genie. "Could you make them appear, too?"

Well, now that she had some food in her, Hinata knew better than teleport a whole family to their deaths in the middle of the desert. "I could bring you back to your family, if you wish it."

"My family will be in Suna by tomorrow morning. Could you bring me there in the morning?" Moegi asked.

"Of course, now eat up before the food gets cold." Hinata motioned.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Moegi decided that she liked Hinata very much. Hinata pleated pretty braids into Moegi's hair. She sang and told stories until Moegi slept. As a genie, Hinata had no obligation to be kind. A maternal part of the genie lead her to behave so.

The two girls slept with full bellies and peaceful minds.

When morning came, Hinata instructed Moegi to make her second wish. "I wish we were in Suna."

Clapping her hands, Hinata teleported them to Suna. Only one bangle was left around Hinata's ankle.

"Right there! My family usually stays at my aunt's bakery in Suna." Moegi pointed her finger at the sign engraved in Persian cursive. Inside her lamp, Hinata could see through the golden walls.

Moegi ran as fast as her little feet could take her. Her feet hurt but she was too happy to care. She went to the bakery and greeted her aunt. Moegi hid the lamp in her pocket. At last, she found her family.

Moegi told the story of how she fell off the wagon and a genie teleported her home. She presented her golden lamp, but her whole family laughed. All they saw was a rusted tin lamp.

"Come deary," Her aunt said. "Eat and rest, you must be so exhausted. Now you are telling us of your hallucinations."

Sadly, Moegi placed her lamp besides her sleeping mat. She spoke into spout of the lamp. "They don't believe me, Hinata."

Then, Moegi placed her ear to the spout.

From inside the lamp, Hinata gave Moegi a scolding. "Well! It is for the best, is it not!? You promised to free me. If your relatives had believed you, they would have enslaved me! No! No more talking about the lamp! Hide me in an alley way and free me. You promised!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Hinata. I did not think smartly. When night comes I will free you where no one can see you. Cross my heart, I promise."

The child drew a hex over her heart. She had no magic. She simply did it out of superstition.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Night fell over Suna. As promised, Moegi took her lamp and snuck out of the bakery. She began crossing the street to hide in an alley. No one would see Hinata appear from the lamp.

The girl walked but her feet hurt. The world spun around her and onto the ground she fell. Moegi went unconscious. A horse carriage speed by in the night. It crushed the little girl's feet.

The sight alarmed Hinata so much, the genie popped out of her lamp. Quickly, Hinata picked Moegi up and carried her into an alleyway. In Hinata's arms, Moegi breathed. The breath that left Moegi's lips reeked like rotten fruit.

As gently as she could, Hinata laid Moegi against the alley wall. Using two fingers Hinata opened Moegi's eyes. Her pupils were fixed. Hinata unwrapped Moegi's pointed slippers to examine her bloodied feet—the girl had gangrene on her mutilated toes.

Guilt gripped at Hinata's heart. Moegi was a diabetic. Yesterday, Hinata had practically fed the girl to death.

Shaking the girl, Hinata said, "W-wake up, Moegi! Wake up! Please!"

Blinking weakly, Moegi's eyes fluttered open. "Hinata…I'm going to free you."

"N-no. First, I-I want you to wish to be healed, Moegi."

"…I wish…" The girl mumbled and drifted.

Gripping onto the lamp, Hinata chanted. "M-moegi wishes to be well. She wishes to be healed from all injuries and illnesses."

The last bangle on Hinata's ankle disappeared. Moegi glowed. Light waved over her body. Her feet were healed. No longer would Moegi piss out sugar. The child opened her eyes and crawled towards the lamp.

The golden lamp spun. Hinata was fading like an oasis mirage. The pretty blue fairy waved at Moegi. The child waved back.

"Goodbye, Hinata! I am going to miss you."

 _Farewell, Moegi. I am glad you are okay._

And the lamp disappeared.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Inside her golden prison, Hinata study the engraved teachings. Once she was done reading, Hinata would ask the lamp another question—and on the walls would appear the answers. The Rose Lamp that trapped Hinata taught her about everything from diseases to spells to philosophy.

Sighing to herself, Hinata wondered if her father had ever loved her.

"Rose Lamp, a-amuse me, what is l-love?"

On the walls, Persian cursive appeared.

 ** _Love is patient, love is kind._**

 ** _It does not envy,_**

 ** _it does not boast, it is not proud._**

 ** _It does not dishonor others,_**

 ** _it is not self-seeking,_**

 ** _it is not easily angered,_**

 ** _it keeps no record of wrongs._**

 ** _Love does not delight in evil_**

 ** _but rejoices with the truth._**

 ** _It always protects, always trusts,_**

 ** _always hopes, always perseveres._**

 ** _Love never fails._**

 ** _But where there are prophecies, they will cease;_**

 ** _where there are tongues, they will be stilled;_**

 ** _where there is knowledge, it will pass away._**

 ** _The Words of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8_**

Hinata took her hand and swiped.

 ** _Love without loyalty, is not love._**

 ** _The words of Rumi._**

A thousand testimonies flashed before her eyes. Envy flooded her heart. She swiped and swiped until tears fell from her eyes. Rage began to simmer. If love was so great, why did it neglect her? All these people, all these voices, told of epic and humble love.

"Does love even exist?" Her wobbly voice shouted at the lamp.

 ** _In short, yes._**

The stupefied genie stared at the writing on the wall. She did not know to believe it or not.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

As the days went by, Hinata began to realize she was quite beautiful. She giggled at her reflection.

"M-mirror, m-mirror on the wall. Am I beautiful or do my looks appall?"

The gold lamp reflected her sculpted features. She touched the girl looking back at her. _Is that me? I am not ugly at all. Father always told me I was hideous._

 ** _My lady, you are among one of the most beautiful of all._**

 ** _Moreso, when you are humble but hold yourself tall._**

Like an idiot, Hinata could not stop staring at her reflection. Her looks became her greatest comfort. Perhaps she was not the most virtuous. Nor was she the most wise. But her looks were pleasing to her. They gave her worth. They made her want to keep living.

Inside the lamp, Hinata had no food nor water. Her favorite pastimes were sleeping, reading, and crafting her hair into different styles.

While Hinata was living with her father, he had locked her in her room all her life. He ordered all metal and reflecting objects removed from her room. The servants watched over her. And she always drank water from a narrow jug, so she would not see her reflection in the water. Living in the lamp did not bother Hinata too much. In fact, Hinata believed the lamp was an improvement compared to her father's castle. It told her stories and showed her places she could only dream of.

Being outside the lamp with Moegi was wonderful. Hinata set foot in the desert and the metropolis of Suna for the first time. But in the end, it was not meant to be. Hinata did not want to be free at the expense of a human life.

Sometimes, Hinata would wonder how Moegi was doing. She would ask her lamp, but it gave her vague answers.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

A warrior by the name of Sasuke Uchiha discovered her lamp on top of a mountain. In her story, Hinata called him Tafah. The woman too vain to accept Sasuke was Sakura Haruno. Rearrange the first four letters of her last name and you got Hura. Selfish and depraved, the two were a perfect match. Hopefully, Hinata would never have to meet those people ever again.

From the sacrifices she made for Moegi, Hinata discovered that wishes could be reinterpreted. She misguided Sasuke into slavery.

In her time with Sasuke, Hinata learned humility. She learned not to put too much stock in her looks. To the Hinata of the past, a woman's beauty was her most prized possession. Unfortunately, she would learn this was not true. Beauty could be marred with time or tragedy. The lamp gave her foresights of beautiful women falling to depression once they have age.

Through her lamp she saw Sasuke splash acid onto the face of Tayuya, the most beautiful of his harem. Tayuya was sold to Sasuke by her uncle. But she had long fallen in love with the local blacksmith. When Tayuya tried to runaway, Sasuke mutilated her in front of the whole harem. Without her looks the blacksmith no longer wanted her. Sasuke casted Tayuya into the streets.

Riches attracted bad women. Beauty attracted depraved men.

Hinata aided Tayuya. Trying the best she could, Hinata could only reconstruct a portion of the beauty that Tayuya once had. Now Tayuya lived as a plain-looking woman. But her character and resourcefulness found her a goodhearted husband.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Worst was worst until you met someone who outdid even the devil himself. Chiyo was a witch. Age weakened her and she was reduced to working as a governess for the princes. As Chiyo walked along the riverbank, she spotted a golden lamp. The genie inside now belonged to the witch.

"Hinata! Come out and sort the lentils!" Chiyo banged her spoon against the walls of the lamp.

Stubbornly, the demon teenager sat in her lamp. What a lazy old floozy! If Chiyo wanted something done, she could do it herself.

Smashing the spoon harder, Chiyo put a dent into lamp. Pain rippled through the girl's body.

 _Damage to this lamp will cause damage to your body. If the lamp is destroyed while you are still contracted, you will die. Act_ ** _now_** **.**

Script appeared on the walls of the lamp.

Hinata popped out of the lamp.

"What is your wish?" Hinata asked with her arms crossed. Chiyo was only her third master, but Hinata was already sick and tired of being a genie. All these stupid, needy people are ordering her around all the time.

"Sort my lentils or I will melt your lamp."

 _Fine! If Chiyo wanted her lentils sorted, she could waste her first wish on a silly chore._ She clapped her hands. Using her magic, Hinata separated the lentils. Magically, the beans shifted into four piles—red, black, green, and brown.

And yet, when she looked down at her ankles all three bangles were still there. It dawned on Hinata that Chiyo did not use the phrase "I want" or "I wish." Tricky witch!

This was the way life would treat Hinata for the next few weeks. Hinata was ordered around to do menial labor. Otherwise, her disobedience was met with death threats.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

The powers Hinata possessed became more potent. On full moons, the demon girl could see Chiyo's thoughts.

Once upon a time, Chiyo was a beautiful maiden. A demon boy by the name of Dan fell in love with her. The beauty Chiyo lusted after his powers. One night, while her husband was drunk, Chiyo carved his heart out and ate it. All his powers and the years of his life added on to hers. His corpse was buried in the very garden Hinata was working in. The bluenette trembled in fear.

But Dan had been a lower demon. Otherwise, he would have seen through the schemes his wife plotted. Now his years and power were fading. Chiyo was no more than a kitchen witch. But she understood magic well.

Sure, Chiyo could order Hinata to move heavy things using telekinesis with death threats. However, for more powerful spells, Hinata needed the lamp to magnify her magic. The first prize Chiyo wanted was immortality.

Beckoning with her finger, Chiyo called Hinata over. "Sweetheart, I want you to fetch me the bottle at the bottom of the Labyrinth of the Dead."

The bangle on Hinata's ankle glowed. The command registered as a wish. Excitedly, Hinata clapped her hands. "Alright! I will summon the Elixir of Eternity out of the Labyrinth."

Chiyo raised her eyebrow. The labyrinth had strong seal over it. There was absolutely no way the child could summon the vial of the Elixir of Eternity.

Clapping her hands, a hologram of the vial appeared. Then it disappeared. Again and again, the djinn clapped her hands. And time and time over, the mirage of the vial would appear and disappear.

The old witch stared with her mouth agape. She salivated on herself. Chiyo knew the secrets of magic. To summon an object, you had to make the mirage appear before you could summon the object itself. Hinata could summon the mirage. Which meant the girl had enough magic to break through the Seals of Hell.

The djinni standing before her was a thousand times more powerful than Dan. The poor thing did not know how to harness her magic however. Such a poor thing. Chiyo would carve the bluenette's pretty little heart out.

"It does not work Chiyo. I do not think I can do it." By now, Hinata had argued with her lamp enough to speak without stuttering. The lamp would goad her and make her angry. Eventually, it trained her to be quick of tongue.

"O darling, yes you can. You will walk into the Labyrinth of the Dead. And fetch it with your own hands." Wrinkled hands cradled the girl's face. Hinata flinched.

"No! I am not going to hell! You cannot make me!" The genie cried.

"O yes, o yes you are." The witch teleported them to the mouth of the highest mountain in Persia.

Dragging the screaming girl behind her, Chiyo lead Hinata to a portal. With a quick shove, the witch pushed the clumsy growing girl into the blue vortex. "Don't come back until you have the elixir!"

"Aaaaahhh!"

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

There was no light. Her demonic pale eyes glowed. Night vision came with disadvantaged peripheral vision. The center of her vision was lit abright, but the faded into darkness. If a creature were to approach her from the side, Hinata stood vulnerable.

 _Alright, think. I can use a locating spell._ Hinata formed a seal with her fingers. _Lead me to the Elixir of Eternity._

A glowing line appeared on the ground. Hinata followed it. Chills ran down her back. It was so lonely down here. If Hinata died no one would miss her. There was a depressing thought.

Onwards she braved the labyrinth. The djinni supposed every minute she was alive was one more minute to be grateful for. The djinni did not want her lamp destroyed. So, she walked deeper into the maze. For a girl who had lived trapped in a castle most of her life, the unknown labyrinth was horrifying.

The stone walls seemed endless and confusing. Hinata continued to follow the glowing white line. _Was this the right way? Was she accidently walking away from the bottle instead of towards it_?

Fear eroded her confidence. Hinata was tempted to turn around. "I have no fear, so fear cannot have me."

Hinata said the childhood rhyme that kept her alive through her father's beatings.

Faith guided her forward. She would survive this. It would be scary and messy, but she will win.

For hours and hours, Hinata walked through the labyrinth. Exhaustion began to overtake her stamina. Clapping her hands, Hinata said, "Seize!"

The glowing light disappeared. Hinata restarted the locating spell with the last of her magic. _Guide me to the Portal of Man._

Chiyo yelled into the spout of the Rose Lamp. "It has been three days. What is taking you so long, Hinata? Do I need to put fire to your lamp for you to get a move on?"

 _Three days went by?_ "No, this is just an extremely long labyrinth. Perhaps you would like to come and join me for a walk?"

The genie called the bluff. The witch would gain nothing from killing Hinata at this point. Yet, the genie still sped to accomplish her goal. She needed to get out of her. Slowly but surely, Hinata could feel the stone walls drain her of chakra. She had to go to the bottom of the Labyrinth where the portal back to the human realm swirled.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Ghouls were those who sold their souls to stay human. The result was neither human nor ghost. Rotting brown flesh draped their bones. Their paste-like skin was the texture of cooked liver. Teeth as sharp as knives flashed before Hinata's eyes. Hoards of ghouls marched slowly.

Unlike djinn, the ghouls were not blessed with night-seeing eyes. After selling their souls, the ghouls wandered aimlessly searching for the Portal of Man. For centuries, the soulless creatures walked in the dark. Men without souls were as good as blind.

Hinata hid behind stalagmites. The girl trembled, her magic was depleted. It would be hours before she would be able to perform another spell. Water dripped onto her head. She held herself from breathing too loudly. They say that darkness heightened other senses. Smell and hearing became sharpen in the ghouls.

Sniffing the air, the ghoul leader spoke. "Girl. Human girl."

His damp bellowing voice moaned. It was barely human.

Abruptly, all the ghouls began sniffing about. The started to march slowly towards her. There was no escaping, there were too many of them to run. She had to fight.

Picking up a stone, Hinata threw it at the temple of one of the ghouls. It fell dead. You have to kill the ghoul in one strike. Striking the ghoul a second time brought it back to life.

 _One. Two. Three._ Three ghouls dropped to the ground. Hinata ran back and forth behind the stalagmites and threw rocks at the ghouls.

Despite how easy they were to disable, Hinata went about it carefully. She made sure none of her rocks fell on incapacitated ghoul—that would resurrect the ghoul.

All her strikes were aimed to kill. Djinnhood had its benefits. Athletic reflexes launched the rocks exactly where they were aimed. Heart, temple, throat, and spine. The killing felt like it was going on forever. One by one the ghouls fell to the ground.

Sweat dripped off of Hinata's brow. Running and throwing for an hour had made her whole body wet with sweat. The ghouls seemed to move and react quicker as Hinata began to sweat more and more. She smelled ripe like peaches. Even in the dark, the ghouls quickly located Hinata. Their shape noses guided them. Perhaps Hinata was swifter. But by large they outnumbered her.

Hinata crept carefully as not to wake any of the ghouls from death.

There was a reason they made the ghoul leader their champion. He was the sharpest of them all. At the sound of his fellow ghouls' hearts stopping, the ghoul leader played dead. He laid down. As the foolish girl walked towards him, he grabbed her leg. He could not see. But he could smell.

Quickly Hinata reached for her hairpin. She stabbed it into the ghoul's jugular vein.

Fortune was on her side, he was directly below her and fully exposed to her attack. It had been her favorite hairpin. Drawing back the hairpin would resurrect that surprisingly quick-reflexed ghoul. Oh well. There will be more hairpins in the future. Now was not the time to lament a lost luxury.

Walking through a ghoul's den sent the hairs on her head standing. Frightening situations are all the more frightening when one is alone. Paralyzed by her shock, the djinni just stood there.

Her heart stopped inside her chest for a moment. Gazing around her. There must have been at least a hundred ghouls all around. The demon girl had stamina that outlasted the ghouls. She had killed them for what seemed like eternity.

All these ghouls had been human once. Greed and wrath made them sell their souls. Above the mountain a full moon shone. Their remnant thoughts leaked into her brain. Some had wanted to live a little longer. Others wanted vengeance. Hinata swore to herself, she would not fall to the Seven Deadly Sins. Otherwise, she would be like these who laid before her. Wasting away without purpose, not properly living nor dying. Decaying from the inside out.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Syncing her magic with the lamp, Hinata asked to be guided out on a path without beasts. Or at the very least as few beasts as possible.

Following her path, Hinata saw monsters trapped in cells. If she had taken the wrong path, or fallen through a trap portal, she would be imprisoned with the creatures. A sphinx hissed at her. "Girl, girl. Let me out, you have magic. If you do, I will let you ride me to the exit. I am a woman like you. I can be trusted."

Hinata walked onwards. She did not like the way the sphinx licked its lips.

 _ROOOOAAARRRRRRRR!_

"I will kill you. I will eat you! Just wait until I get out of here!"

The sphinx her daggered teeth.

The minotaur rammed its head against its glass prison. It was a Hall of Horrors. It went on endless. Every deform creature known to man was trapped down here. Tentacle monsters, feral unicorns, soul-reapers, and a child that had a mouth in the back of its head.

No fool would let any of these creatures out of their prison.

Hinata felt as if this whole walk was a punishment for her sins. Not only for all her vanity and wrongdoings, but all the times she could have helped the girls of the harem and failed.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Gold and treasure filled the cave in front of her. The cavern looked like paradise. There was a buffet laid lavishly on a cherry wood table. A soft bed beckoned to her. Crystal clear waterfalls gushed water. The waterfalls were small enough to use for washing. Everything one would need to survive was in this breathtaking cavern.

Fish swam in the pond. Birds flew overhead. A butterfly landed on her shoulder. It made the djinni want to stay here forever.

Maybe Hinata could take a little nap on that bed…

Her inner djinn voice reasoned to her she might end up sleeping here forever. Biting her thumb, the mirage began to fade.

Hinata was back in the caves. Where the bed had laid there was a red portal. Portals laid all over the cave. If Hinata had fallen for any of the temptations. Gold and greed. The bed and sloth. The food for gluttons. The clothes for the vain. She would have sank into a prison.

On the walls of her lamp, she read that the Elixir of Life was located in a chamber adjacent to the Portal of Man. In front of Hinata was the blue portal leading back to Earth. But if she came back empty handed, Chiyo was sure to slay her. Temperamental moods and senility were symptoms experienced by the old witch.

A bit of Hinata's magic had recover. _Lead me to the Elixir of Eternity._

The glowing path line appeared. Hinata followed it to a chamber. Inside, the chamber was empty. Where the line ended laid nothing. Hinata picked up a tree branch and poked where the line ended. Her branch was met with some shifting material. Tentatively, she swirled the stick around and lifted it. A red cloak appeared. Beneath it was a perfume bottle.

Hinata shook the cloak a few times. She beat it against a stalagmite. It did nothing. She checked for charms. Oddly the curious djinni was more interested in the invisibility cloak than immortality itself. The bottle rested on the ground. Hinata placed the cloak on her hand finally. Her hand blended into the ground.

"Appear." She spoke. The red cloth appeared and her hand imprinted through the fabric. The young teen draped herself with the cloak.

She walked over and picked up the perfume bottle. Suddenly the sphinx from the Hall of Horrors lounged out. Baring her sharp teeth and claws she snarled.

"Ha! I told you I would break out! You should have helped me. Now you die!"

Hinata ran and covered her head with the cloak. She became fully invisible. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of her scuffle Hinata had pressed on the perfume bottle. Noxious green smoke filled the cavern. So much for a glorious Elixir of Eternity. Eternity smelled of pungent farts and rotten eggs.

The fumes were too thick to smell or see through.

Seizing her chance, Hinata escaped through the Portal of Man with the perfume bottle.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

A limitless lifespan was great. Except Hinata would die anyways. The djinn stared at the empty bottle in her hand. Tears were threatening to soak her face.

 _What am I going to do? Chiyo will think I used it all on myself._ The djinn lamented.

 _"…I want you to fetch me the bottle at the bottom of the Labyrinth of the Dead."_ These had been Chiyo's words. A bangle disappeared from Hinata's ankle.

That right, Chiyo only asked for the bottle, not for the elixir itself. Quickly Hinata made a rejuvenation potion. The rejuvenation potion stole years of life from the one who made it. But Hinata had no lifespan limit, so it did not really matter.

Teleporting herself back to Chiyo's home. Hinata handed Chiyo the bottle.

Spritzing herself with the perfume, Chiyo gloated. One of the bangles around Hinata's ankles had disappeared. Chiyo could tell her lifespan was being lengthen. As far as the kitchen witch knew, this was the Elixir of Eternity she was using. It smell of jasmine and citrus. How pleasant…how rejuvenating.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Living forever was no fun—if you had to live as an old hag. _That's it!_ Chiyo decide as she read her mythology book. The greedy witch would have Hinata steal from the Fountain of Youth!

After the completion of the second wish, Chiyo planned on scooping the djinni's heart out.

"Hinata! Come, come! I have something to tell you." The haggard witch screeched.

"What is it mistress?" Over the pass few weeks, Hinata had been beaten into submission again. But there was always this stubborn, mischievous twinkle in her eye. As if, upon the chance, Hinata would overthrow the old witch herself.

"I want you to steal me water from the Fountain of Youth."

 _Not again!_ Hinata groaned inwardly.

"Just a moment okay, Chiyo? I promise to use a locating spell inside my lamp." Hinata poof back into her lamp. She kicked the golden walls. Was 60 additional years to her life not enough? Now the slimey old witch wanted to look young forever. Taking a deep breath, Hinata sat down.

"Rose lamp, please show me the Fountain of Youth. I'm sorry I kicked you." The djinni's shoulders fell in contrite.

 _There is no Fountain of Youth._

"Then why did my bangles glow?"

 _That is a misnomer for the Tree of Spring. Water from the Fountain of Youth refers to sap from the Tree of Spring. Be careful, Aphrodite guards the garden._

"So how should I do this?" Hinata consulted her lamp.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

Leaves the color of flames waved in the wind. Autumn had reached the Garden of Aphrodite. It was gorgeous. Walking on the path laid with gold and silver cobblestones, Hinata headed for the maple tree at the center of the garden. All of its leaves were green.

Flowers of all names adorned floor of the garden. Autumn leaves fell and gathered beneath the trees. The fresh smell of ripened apples and pumpkins teased her nose. She strolled beneath the arching branches. For the first time in her life, Hinata was encountering Fall. Encased in her cloak of invisibility, Hinata paced casually. If she did not know better, she would stay forever in the majestic garden.

Hinata enjoyed the fresh air. The djinni mastered the art of compartmentalizing. She perfected the skill of living in blissful denial. Even if today was her last day, Hinata would live it fully just like any other day.

Hinata came up to the Tree of Spring. She used a quick locating spell to make sure it was the right tree. Then, she perched the tree with her hallow drill. Some of the sap oozed onto Hinata's hands. Collecting the sap in a flask, Hinata worked quickly.

At that moment, Aphrodite decided to have her garden swept of fallen leaves. A billowing wind escaped her hands. The leaves gathered themselves into a gigantic pile. The wind knocked off the hood of the invisibility cloak. A wood nymph grabbed Hinata and placed metal shackles around her wrists. No matter how much she tried, Hinata could not summon her magic.

"How arrogant, stealing sap from me. Do you wish to rival me in beauty and youth?" The goddess of Love arched her eyebrow.

"No, my goddess, I do not."

"Do not lie to a goddess."

"I-I am stealing it for my mistress."

"Then you shall die."

Suddenly, the girl sobbed. Frustration overtook her. "Go ahead! My mistress is going to kill me anyways."

Well, the djinn's statement took away all satisfaction Aphrodite had found in killing a thief.

"Why do you say that?"

"This is her second wish. After I am done, she will kill me."

"Stupid djinni, why then, would you fulfill your future killer's wish?"

"To stall my death. If I do not go, then she threatens to burn my lamp."

"Why, that's abuse!"

"I know! People say djinn are bad for being djinn. But they don't look at themselves!"

Sympathy softened Aphrodite's green eyes. "I think I know what you speak about. Once I was a simple sea nymph. But I was so beautiful the gods made me a goddess. In my time with the humans, they enslaved and exploited me."

"I'm so sorry." The demon girl whispered.

Carefully considering the djinni, Aphrodite asked. "Girl, who is your favorite goddess?"

"Why, it is you, my goddess. My late mother prayed to you to make me beautiful and artful." The djinn was quick of tongue.

"O that is why you are so adorable now, is it not?" Pleasantly, the goddess of Love smiled upon Hinata. Aphrodite would spare her life.

"Now this mistress of yours. When she ordered you to steal, do you remember her exact words?"

"I want you to steal me water from the Fountain of Youth."

Bursting with chiming laughter, Aphrodite clutched her stomach. There was no Fountain of Youth. "O alright, and did she say you could not tamper with this water?"

"No."

Sprinkling a few spores from the Shroom of Stagnation into the sap, Aphrodite handed Hinata back the flask.

"O and one more thing, give me that cloak of yours." The invisibility cloak could come in handy whenever Aphrodite wanted to rendezvous with Aries.

Giving the goddess the cloak, Hinata received her pardon. Aphrodite waved her hand and sent Hinata back to the human realm.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

One last bangle adorned Hinata's ankle. Chiyo gleamed with glee. She sat in her bed. Reaching out her fingers, the witch awaited her flask. The witch grabbed the flask and drank every last drop.

A numbness spread from her toes to her legs to her hips. That was probably the effects of eternal youth. The dullness spread upward and stopped at her neck. She could not move.

"What is this? What did you do to me? Genies are not allowed to kill their masters!"

Hinata did not say a word.

"Make this stop this instant, Hinata."

The djinni crossed her arms. "Or what Chiyo, are you going to melt my lamp?"

"No, fix this. I-I wish for it!"

"Chiyo wishes to be fixed." Hinata said calmly.

The heart in the witch's chest glowed. Chiyo's frozen face leaked tears. The spores had affected her whole body. The only thing Hinata fixed was Chiyo's conscience. The witch realized all her pointless sins. She had love and a family. She regretted killing her loving husband. Now she would die alone.

Without anyone to care for her, the witch would likely die in a week.

Hinata faded and her lamp spun. Then, Hinata met Gaara.

o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o

 **It was either the witch or her you know? Someone said Hinata could not be a good villian. Challenge accepted. Alright, Gaara is up next. Gaarahina is my alltime favorite couple. It's a crack pairing I know, I know.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4) Correspondence

Emperor Naruto was at the end of his wits. One day, he sat down for a dinner feast and then the whole table disappeared. The table along with all the delicacies it displayed became a mirage and vanished. Laughing heartily, the Emperor pretended that it was a party trick and asked the guests to go to a different table.

Later, Naruto licked the floor beneath the table. His long demon tongue swept the surface. It was marid magic, it tasted like youth and inexperience. A water djinn child had summoned away his feast table. There was a legend. Steal the king's feast table, and you would have his head on a silver platter. _This was war threat._

Naruto was not one to waste magic. He knew the marid tribes had gone extinct. The castle was sealed with a pure water seal. For a decade, no one tampered with the seal…until now.

He took precautions. He switched the castle seal to a Five Pure Elemental Seal. But then gold and silver continued to disappear. Naruto was a nine-tailed fox demon. He sniffed and tasted the magic. It was that same ominous marid child.

Naruto asked his most trusted advisor Kurama if there was anything that could be done. Kurama lamented. The marid child had enough magic to summon the Great Beasts out of hell, if it wished. A marid this strong had to be male. It would only grow stronger by the day. Castle security was compromised. The marid could break in and slay them all. It must be killed.

Naruto pressed paper to the magic. He made a thousand copies. When the marid touches the paper, it would glow.

The demon emperor sent out his men to sweep the streets of Konoha. All boys under 18 years old were forced to press their hand against velum sheets. The soldiers dragged in random boys to appease the emperor. But, the demon was not stupid. None of the boys were djinn. He released them.

o.o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o.o

Every day, something disappeared from Naruto. A rose disappeared from his bedside vase. The quill pen in his hand began to fade, Naruto used his magic to pull the pen back, the marid pulled harder. Back and forth, the two djinns fought for the feather pen over time and space. Then the marid relented and stopped pulling. All marid magic disappeared from the pen. _Haha! He won! He was the mighty demon emperor after all!_

He relaxed and continued writing the letter to his wife.

Suddenly, quick as a flash, the pen disappear.

 _Why that sneaky, sassy, annoying djinn. It only stopped pulling for a moment to trick him._ He could still smell the stink of childhood on his hand. He laughed. What a cheeky child.

The emperor had everything, except a child. After five years of marriage, he still had no heir. His greatest wish was for a son or a daughter.

Naruto decided he would not kill the marid. He would capture this marid boy, whoever he was. He would teach and train the marid. The marid would serve as his most respected general one day. Naruto was confident in himself. Naruto was a just and fair leader. The marid was bound to be won over in loyalty.

o.o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o.o

Chiyo was a greedy witch. Summon me a pen. Summon me rolls of cloth. Summon me wine and deer steak for dinner. When Hinata refused, the witched threatened to mutilate her lamp.

Now that Hinata has read her lamp properly, she felt a twinge of guilt for stealing. Honestly, Hinata did not know where or who she was stealing from. Hopefully, it was not all coming from the same person.

Whenever Hinata stole, she saw visions of a royal palace. It had the most beautiful roses. She could not help but snatch a rose every time she ran an errand for Chiyo.

The elegant palace walls were sealed with all the elements and embellished with gold. She saw the hand of a man holding a pen. She saw his hand writing a love letter to Sakura Haruno, the Dark Queen. Nope, he was best off having nothing to do with that lady. Hinata would do him a favor. She would stop his correspondences with that bad woman. Hinata yanked the pen out of his hand. He pulled it back. _Did he? Did he have magic too?_

The harder she yanked, the harder he pulled. Finally, she decided to let him think that he won. He no longer gripped the pen with magic. He happily wrote his cheesy love letter.

 _Blech! A love letter to a witch!_ Hinata made a face. Then, she charged up all her magic.

 _Zap!_ Victorious, the pen was now in her hand.

o.o.o

o.o.o.o.o

o.o.o

AN: Ha! Silly busybody Hinata djinn antics. I am writing the Gaara chapter right now. But it got too long. So I needed a break. Gaara coming soon.


End file.
